New York, NY (October 4, 2013) – New York State Senator Brad Hoylman issued the following statement today in response to reports that local hotel operators were seeking to illegally evict evacuees of Superstorm Sandy despite being offering payments by New York Disaster Interfaith Services for their continued stay.

“I am deeply disturbed that 30 Superstorm Sandy evacuees living in hotel rooms in my district and hundreds in hotels elsewhere in the city are potentially facing imminent illegal eviction after the City terminated its hotel reimbursement program.

It’s scandalous that the City has fought so vigorously in court for nearly six months to be able to stop providing the funds to house these people who lost nearly everything when Sandy hit nearly a year ago. The City should instead be using its resources to provide viable housing alternatives – not trying to steer them into homeless shelters.

Working in conjunction with the Legal Aid Society, I have called the hotels in my district housing Sandy evacuees and the relevant police precincts to apprise them of Section 711 of the NYS Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law. This law protects tenants who have occupied a room for at least 30 days and whose rent has been paid for at least 30 days from being evicted without proceedings in Housing Court.

New York Disaster Interfaith Services is generously offering to reimburse hotel owners for these evacuees. I call on these hotel owners to do the right thing towards their fellow New Yorkers: Continue to provide shelter for our city’s Sandy evacuees.”